Means for operating tramway or similar points from vehicles.



No. 697,609. 4 Pat'entod'Apr. l5, I902.

W. A. DAY. MEANS FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY 0R SIMILAR POINTS FROM VEHICLES.

(Application filad Oct. 28, 1901.)

- (No Model.)

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ARTHUR DAY, OF SOUTl-ISEA, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY OR SIMILAR POINTS FROM VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,609, dated April 15, 1902.

A Application filed October 28, 1901. Serial No. 80,303. (No model.)

To all whom, it 777/Cl/y concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM ARTHUR DAY,

a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and-Ireland, residing at 27 Granada road, Southsea, in the county of Hampshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Operating Tramway or Similar Points from Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention is applicable to all kinds of tram-cars and tramways; and its object is to dispense with the services of a pointsman or the necessity of the driver stopping the car or alighting at a junction to move the points.

It consists of the following parts: first, an iron box, which is let into the roadway between the points to be operated and which contains at each end aroller tread-plate suspended on a balanced lever and also other levers, whereby a sliding baris projected on either side of said box, said sliding bar being pivoted to a bolt attached to said points, so that its projection on either side insures the movement of said points, also a locking device for preventing rebound of said sliding bar; second, dust-boxes to receive dirt and stones for insertion in ground beneath said points to obviate necessity of frequent cleaning of same by hand, and, third, mechanism attached to car whereby the driver by depressing a plunger-rod with his foot causes an iron leg shod with a roller to descend and operate said tread-plates in road-box.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 shows an exterior perspective view of the box-casing A and the rails with the right-hand point in working position and the dust-boxes placed near the ends of points. Fig. 2 shows a sectional elevation of the boxcasing A, showing the balance-lever, sliding bar, bellcrank levers, and roller-treads all operating on the right-hand point. Fig. 3 shows an elevation of the front or end of a tram-car and illustrates the method of applying this invention underneath same. Fig. 4 shows a side View of the car, also showing the roller P and levers and gear I K L M N O in the operative position. Fig. 5 shows a holding device for keeping the sliding bar in its operative position and preventing rebound of same. Fig. 6 shows a plan and cross-section of a dustbox to be placed near the points to receive dirt which may accumulate therein.

A is the box-casing.

13 B are the two roller tread-plates.

O is the balance-lever.

D D are bell-crank levers.

E is the sliding bar.

F F are the screwed bolts.

G is the loose cover of box, removable for cleaning.

H is the plunger-rod.

I is a bell-crank lever.

K is a connecting-rod.

L is a fixed arm on the revolving rod.

M is a revolving rod.

N is a shorter rod.

O O are fixed leg-bars on the revolving rods M N and carry the rollers P P.

P P are rollers which operate the treadplates B B.

Q is a bracket forming a pivot for lever I.

R R are brackets supporting rods M N.

S S are the tramway-rails.

T T are corrugated jaws of the locking device.

V is an adjustable spring on movable jaw of locking device to hold' same against its fellow.

W is the dust-box for receiving stones and dirt which may accumulate around the points.

X'X are holes in box W or in the rail adjoining.

Y is the movable cover of box W.

Z Z are brackets for supporting cover Y.

The action of the mechanism is as follows: Attached by means of the screw-bolts F F to the point or points of the rails S S is a sliding horizontal bar E, which passes through the box-casing A and is connected to a balance-lever O by means of one or more bellcrank levers D D, which give way under the downward pressure of roller tread-plates B B when the roller attached to the car passes over them. The pressure from this roller P is caused through the gear on the car, composed of the lever and gear I K L M N O, by the driver pressing his foot upon the plunger-rod H. The position of the legbars 0 may be moved when desired along the rod or rods M N, which are attached to the car by the brackets R R. These rods and brackets M N R may vary in length ornumber to correspond with the position of leg-bar O, carrying the roller P.

VVhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. 111 a tramway-switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a sliding rod connected therewith, a bell-crank lever having one arm connecting with said rod, a pressureplate connected with the other arm, a rocking lever extending transversely of the roadbed and having one end connected with said other arm of the bell-crank, and a pressureplate connected with the opposite end of said lever, substantially as described.

VILLIAM ARTHUR DAY.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL S. BROMHEAD, HERBERT E. BARLoW. 

